


to wear your love on a chain around my neck

by captainharkness



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Drabble Collection, First Dates, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-06-05 11:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6702448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainharkness/pseuds/captainharkness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A 30 Day Drabble challenge made by me, written over what will inevitably be far more than 30 days. Written in chronological order, the time frame spans from Sami joining NXT to some point in the distant future. All the prompts I found online or in songs or made up when I ran out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "someone new"

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dahdeemohn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahdeemohn/gifts).



> Prompt: "I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day with someone new"

Sami Zayn liked to keep his heart open. He didn’t believe the nonsense about sacrificing the things you loved the most to get it to the top. Maybe he was greedy, but he wanted his cake and to eat it, too. He fed off the adoration of the crowds, the one armed hugs and slaps on the back when he got backstage. 

He knew he was lucky, that a lot of people loved him. It was the best feeling in the world. 

Sami loved a lot of people back, too. 

~.~.~

Kevin was a hard guy to love, but Sami thought he did his best. The biggest problem was that Kevin didn’t understand; there was strength in numbers. You could be the top dog and still have the pack beside you. The very mentality that Sami had built his career on was the one thing Kevin despised. Lying on the apron, the wind shoved from his lungs with a powerbomb so hard he was seeing stars, Sami thought that he might be cursed. 

“ _ I’m a fighter _ ,” he’d spat at him, standing above him while the crowd went insane. Sami read it on his lips rather than heard it, the blood pumping too loud in his ears to hear much of anything at all, “ _ That’s what I do. _ ”

Sami was a lover and Kevin was a fighter. And what a cruel fate, he thought as he struggled to find breath again, that Kevin would battle with Sami on his loyalty and his trust and his compassion, and Sami would never stop loving the pounding of fists and the war that would never stop raging.

~.~.~

Bayley had come to NXT only a month before he did. Everything was so  _ big _ , so shiny and new and so much better than anywhere he’d come from. It was never easy being the new kid on the block, even when you weren’t a kid anymore, and the people around you were slapping you on the shoulder and telling you they were a  _ fan _ of yours.

First impressions, regardless of what you did for a living, were important, and Bayley started at NXT with a string of losses that made him cringe. It was hard, when you just couldn’t pick up a win, no matter what you did or how hard you tried. He’d had losing streaks of his own that he thought would bury him so deep that not even the internet would find him, and it sucked to see it happen to other wrestlers, too.

Three months after he debuted, he’d walked into a gym in Florida to find Bayley beating the hell out of a punchbag. She clocked him the second he walked in, taking her earphones out and grinning. 

“Hey, Sami,” she greeted, still bouncing on the balls of her feet like if she stopped moving, she’d never start again, “How’s it going?”

“Alright, I guess. Hey, sorry about your loss on Wednesday. Sucks.”

Bayley just… laughed, “It’s cool, kinda like a plane crash right?”

Sami blinked.

“I didn’t mean… You didn’t put up a bad match, it wasn’t a crash of any kinds-”

“No, no, no,” she said, shaking her head, “I mean, wrestling. It’s like a plane crash. Until you hit the ground, there’s always gonna be time to change gear and pull out of your tailspin. Wanna spar?”

It took a few seconds for Sami to recover from the epiphany that she’d just thrown his way but if his hesitation bothered her, it didn’t show on her face. Bayley just kept beaming and bouncing, waiting for him to get his shit together, “Yeah, sure. Just let me warm up.”

“Cool,” she grinned, punching him lightly on the shoulder, “I’ll be here when you’re ready. I’m not going anywhere.”

He had to agree.

~.~.~

The first thing Sami noticed about Finn Balor was that he was severely overdressed. Florida was brutally hot on the best of days, yet Finn was wandering about the performance center with a beanie hat and a hoodie on. He didn’t seem to be struggling, although he was a little red in the face. Sami got it, though. Coming off the plane from Canada, he thought he’d die when he landed in the Sunshine State. He stubbornly refused to take off his jacket, though, like when your mom told you to take a coat when it was cold, and you had to sit in furious silence as you shivered half to hell to save your pride.

The second thing Sami noticed about Finn was that he drew attention like a one man band. People watched him walk around, William Regal probably boring him to death with a speech about the history of the company and what NXT was doing for the future. People stopped what they were doing to look at him nod and smile and laugh politely. 

“Ain’t that the guy from New Japan?” Carmella came up behind him, dressed for a workout but also, somehow, looking incredibly polished, “The one with all the face paint?”

“Yeah, looks like it,” Sami nodded, aiming for casual. He’d clocked Finn as Prince Devitt the second he walked in, but Carmella didn’t need to know that.

Finn chose that exact moment to look round to where they were standing, both of them most definitely staring. Carmella darted behind his back, leaving Sami looking like an utter fool. There was half a second of awkward eye contact before Sami held up a hand in greeting. Finn beamed back, waving in return. 

The third thing Sami noticed about Finn was that his smile lit up a room like the sun.

“Looks like you made a new friend, Sami, baby,” Carmella commented, her head appearing over his shoulder in his peripheral vision, “Bada  _ boom _ , hottest guy in the room.”

Sami huffed out a laughter, secretly wondering if he was that transparent, but Carmella just laughed, “Maybe not for me, huh? It’s cool, I don’t mind you callin’ dibs this time, Zayn.”

For once, he didn't bother to argue with her.


	2. "kissing in the blue dark"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "kissing in the blue dark, playing pool and wild darts"

There was a lot that Sami was grateful for. He was grateful that his injury hadn’t taken him out of the picture completely. He was grateful that his mom still called every Sunday morning and never complained that he always forgot. He was grateful that it was perfectly acceptable for him to ask his best friend on a date while said friend was in nothing but a pair of wrestling trunks, meticulously applying black face paint to himself despite having an entire make-up department who would do it for him.

He was grateful that Finn hadn’t managed to get all of the paint off when he showered after the show, black and red smudges on the back of his neck and along his jawline. It was a strange kind of endearing. 

He was grateful that he had driven to the bar because it meant he couldn’t stare at Finn’s profile as he recounted his match with animated hands and wide smiles, having to keep at least half his concentration on the road. It, at the very least, guaranteed that Sami couldn’t rely on his peripheral vision to drive and was less likely to crash the car while making eyes at his friend. The sky was already dark as they drove, arguably, out of their way to a pool bar that was far enough away that they weren’t likely to bump into anyone from the roster there.

They payed for their own drinks - force of habit more than any conscious choice - and settled at one of the corner tables. There was a few pool tables, a dartboard too, and a healthy enough crowd that they weren’t sticking out. Whatever game was playing on the TV hadn’t garnered much interest from anyone, likely just background noise on another Wednesday night. It wasn’t too noisy, but it was loud enough that Sami had been able to justify not speaking until they found their seats.

It was stupid.

This was his best friend in the world, and they were sat in a bar after a show because they wanted to spend time with each other, like they did every other week. It shouldn’t have made his skin tight trying to come up with something to say just because he’d stumbled into Finn’s locker room before his match, wringing his hands together as he muttered about “ _ going for a drink after, just us _ ”-

“Can I ask you a question?”

Sami nodded, and Finn ducked his head, rubbing at his jaw like he was self conscious, “Promise not to laugh?”

That was usually a sure fire sign that Sami was about to laugh himself stupid but he nodded again anyway.

“Is this… is this a date?” Finn looked at him with furrowed brows, Sami squinting a bit, “It is, right? I didn’t just, like, make that up? Right- Sami!”

Sami’s head hit the table with a  _ thud _ , his whole body shaking with laughter. He could hear Finn muttering about being a horrible friend next to him, but he couldn’t care less. 

“You’re such an ass,” he grumbled. 

Sami tried to muffle his laugh against his palm but the filthy look Finn gave him just set him off again. He’d spent so long agonising about whether or not the night would be perfect, making sure they were on the same page and Finn wasn’t even on the right book.

“Yes, it’s a date,” Sami grinned, shaking his head, “if you want it to be.”

“I want it to be,” Finn answered so quickly that he spoke over the end of Sami’s sentence, “if, I mean, if you want it to be.”

He nodded, still shaking with laughter, “Yeah, you ass, I want it to be.”

~.~.~.~

After the ice broke, it got easier. They fell back into old habits, talking about the show and the matches and what would happen the next week. Finn gave an excruciatingly detailed review of the women’s division, culminating with his prediction on how Bayley wouldn’t lose the title for another year at least. He said it with such fondness in his eyes that Sami thought he might have started to drool on the table, Finn’s whole face alight with excitement over his friend and her winning streak.

It was a little past ten when they moved to the pool table, Finn proudly exclaiming that he was a master of pool and could not be beaten. For all that people liked to comment on how Sami held his heart on his sleeve, he’d never met anyone who wore their happiness the way Finn did. Every even semi-successful shot left him beaming, and Sami was half tempted to let him win just to see him smile.

As it turned out, Finn was pretty much an unbeatable master of pool, and he won two out of their three games. Finn exclaimed that it must have been because Sami was distracted by the sight of him in such tight jeans. On any other given night, Sami would have slapped him upside the head and told him to stop being such a cocky little shit, but it wasn’t any night. It was their first date. He didn’t even feel bad when Finn blushed so dark it was almost comical when Sami just let himself admire those very jeans and make a contemplative noise.

“Shut up,” Finn muttered.

He didn’t complain when Sami slung an arm around his shoulders, dragging him away from the offending pool tables towards the dartboard. Maybe it was dumb to analyse every little thing that Finn did, but the arm that he wrapped back around Sami’s waist sent shivers up his spine, and the easy way he leant into the half-embrace felt too good to be true. It was nothing they hadn’t done before, it was just… more.

Picking up three of the darts by the board, Sami sighed, “C’mon then, you can’t be perfect at everything.”

Annoyingly enough, Finn was perfect at everything, including darts. He hit 140 right off the bat, grinning sheepishly as Sami groaned, resigning himself to a night of utter devastation. Sami wasn’t bad, though, and they were fairly evenly tied right through to the end. 

Finn stepped up to the mark with just 82 left to go, Sami on 95. The look of concentration on his friend’s face was painfully attractive, but he wasn’t above cheating at this point. 

Taking a step closer, Sami pressed up right against Finn’s side, leaning forward so he could whisper in his ear, “Reckon you’ll win?”

There was a telltale flush creeping up Finn’s neck, and hewiped his mouth like he was trying to hide the smile there. He didn’t respond, just started to line up his throw, lips twitching. Sami moved his mouth an inch down, lips pressed to the skin under Finn’s ear in a ghost of a kiss, one hand coming to rest at the small of his back. 

Finn threw.

“You utter bastard,” Sami muttered incredulously as Finn howled with laughter, the dart taunting Sami from its place at triple 20, “You complete ass. How are you doing that?”

He, of course, threw two more perfect darts, winning the game. 

“The double five was an accident, it was completely off target,” Finn swore up and down as Sami narrowed his eyes, “I was aiming for the ten-”

“I don’t believe you.”

Finn took a step into his personal space, eyes wide and earnest, looking up through his eyelashes. Sami wasn’t honestly mad at him, but if he had been, he probably wouldn’t have been for long, “How could I make it up to you? I feel, y’know, really bad.”

It was so unbelievably unfair how pretty Finn was.

In less than thirty seconds, Sami had forgotten how to speak, “I, uh, it’s cool,” he stuttered, licking his dry lips and trying to ignore the way that Finn seemed to glance at his mouth when he did, “I’m not… it’s okay. We’re cool, we’re good-”

“Sami?”

“Yeah?”

Finn moved forwards so their noses bumped and all the air left Sami’s lungs at once, “I’m trying to kiss you.”

He wished he could have had something eloquent and witty to say back, but in the end, he just nodded unevenly, bringing a hand up to fist in the material of Finn’s shirt at his chest and muttered, “Okay.” Finn smiled so wide and genuine that Sami took the final step forward himself.

It was a little awkward because they were both smiling, a little more than a press of mouths, until it wasn’t. They righted themselves, Sami tilted his head and pressed in, Finn’s hands going to cup his neck. Whether it was the warm orange glow of the bar’s lights or the bite of Finn’s nails in the back of his neck, he never wanted to let go. It was the loud sound of someone wolf whistling made them both jump apart in the end, having forgotten they were in a very public bar area. He kept his fingers tight around the material of Finn’s shirt. Sami didn’t think he’d ever been kissed so good in his life.


	3. hotel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: two characters spend the night together

When Finn slipped out of the bathroom, shivering at the colder air after standing in the steam filled bathroom for so long, Sami had already folded himself back into bed. The room was warm in a way that wasn’t quite about temperature, the orange glow of the city filtering in through cheap hotel curtains. It smelled like sex and sweat. 

The taste of it lingered under his tongue as he pulled on a pair of sweats and threw open a window. The sort of pleasant post-fuck ache twinged as he stretched, Sami rolling over onto his side to watch him. Finn grinned, and flexed.

Sami snorted, “Idiot. Put your stupid abs away.”

“Really?”

“No,” He held a hand out to Finn, waving it around until he grabbed it, “Get into bed. Keep y’abs out.”

His words were slurred slightly, but it was gone two in the morning so it was no real surprise. He hauled Finn into the bed without grace or consideration, for either of them, and grunted when a knee landed in his own stomach. Finn muttered that it was his own fault, but persistent hands just keep shoving him under the covers. The open window had let in a refreshing chill, cool air on their heated skin. Finn wasted no time shoving his head under Sami’s malleable arm, pillowing his head on his best friend’s chest.

It was something he’d dreamt of, lost himself in daydreams when he should have been working out or cooking or maintaining sensible adult conversation. The gentle blush that fell over Sami’s cheeks. Combing his fingers through his hair. Eyes the colour of caramel with heavy lids. The steady beat of a living heart beat under his ear. Finn had contemplated the details of Sami post-coital almost as much as he’d thought about the main event. Someone who loved with every inch of their being in the throes of affection, someone as beautiful as Sami-

“You’re staring.”

“Shut up, Zayn,” Finn’s own voice sounded deep and low and entirely unlike himself, even to his own ears. Sami opened his eyes a little more, staring right back. 

He probably had been, though. 

“You’re such a sap,  _ Bálor _ ,” he teased, rolling them both so Finn was on his back, a hand coming up to cup his jaw. They were both so loose and pliant, the kiss was deep and hot, tongues and teeth and words left unspoken in the moment. There was nothing he could do but let himself be kissed until fatigue took over, and they fell asleep, pressed together inch by inch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written as a one shot post-their first time, because I can't write that. It's too pure. Pure sin. Amazing.


	4. weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "weather". As a Brit myself, I fully sympathise with Finn dealing with temperatures hotter than like 25c on a daily basis. The poor boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to me for finally forcing this sin out!!! Honestly I don't have an excuse, I'm just shoddy at time keeping. Also, Bayley POV, for reasons.

Some things, Bayley missed about wrestling on the indie circuit. The roadtripping, meeting new friends for life, learning off of each other’s hard work. There was a little more creative freedom, a little more ‘live and let live’. There was no desire to go back, though. There was nothing in the world that could make her give up her spot on NXT.

She had worried, at first, that being part of something so big, she would get lost in the waves of talent that went by. Just another number on a page, a name on a chart. Nothing could have been further from the truth. NXT was like family, the big stage taking her no further away from the people she owed the most to, the ones sitting in the stands. Instead of getting lost in the enormous WWE universe, she just felt part of something bigger. 

And one of her favourite things about the WWE - the Performance Center.

It was the very center of the universe for her. It was where she trained, where she worked out, where she sparred with Mella. The new recruits would stare at her like  _ she  _ was a legend, ask her all the questions she thought no one ever would. It had become one of the most important things in the world to her. 

Enzo had agreed to come along for some training with her, Cass nursing a stinger in his shoulder from a week before. Bayley liked Enzo, he was colourful and loud and outspoken and didn’t have much of a sense of personal space, which suited them both down to the ground. Even if he sometimes he made passes at her. He always apologised profusely though, which she suspected had more to do with Carmella’s threats than it did any of her own. 

“Warm up, then jump in the ring?” she asked, dumping her bag in a locker.

Enzo nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet, “Like pre-heating an oven.”

She had to wonder if Enzo thought in complete sentences and just… forgot to say all the words sometimes. Still, he’d nodded and was bounding off towards the gym equiptment, so she assumed it had been an agreement of some kind, picking her bag back up and following him.

He met her halfway through, face scrunched up in confusion, pointing back at the gym, “Look.”

Typically, monosyllabism was beyond Enzo’s scope of communication, which set off the first warning bell in her head. Second, it was a hot day. A really hot day. There was always a risk of someone, especially one of the newer guys who had less experience with the high intensity training they did, passing out; dehydration or heat exhaustion.

Bayley followed Enzo back towards the gym, concerned, to find two men laid out on sunloungers in front of the wide floor-to-ceiling window.

One of them had a phone in a glass tumbler, playing soft acoustic music that echoed through the room. They both seemed to be topless, the one on the left humming along to the music while his hand rested on the other’s shoulder, fingers tracing little patterns on his skin. Bayley would later blame how long it took her to recognise Sami and Finn on the surreality of the situation, but there was no mistaking that red hair. Or those shoulder muscles.

Enzo was staring at her with confusion in his eyes, mouth moving in such a way that she wondered if he was going to get a cramp.

She didn’t know what to say, or even if she should say anything. A quick glance back at Enzo and he seemed to have composed himself, pointing at the boys before meshing his fingers together, grimacing. It took a few seconds to catch his drift, and when she finally did, it was with mixed emotions. Surely two of their best friends weren’t dating without telling them? How did they even manage? Between Enzo’s voice, Carmella’s snooping and Sami’s inability to keep a secret, it should have been impossible for them to even be able to leave the house together without someone noticing.

Making a decision before Enzo took the situation into his own hands, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out. They could do their warm up without the machines, without disturbing Finn and Sami. She didn’t miss the way Finn’s fingers slipped up Sami’s shoulder, playing with the edges of his hair, or the way Sami’s hand came up to rest against Finn’s wrist. The room felt a little warmer than usual, and Bayley was sure it wasn’t just the July sunshine.

  
  



End file.
